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Mrs. Lincoln Dressmaker (2013)

by Jennifer Chiaverini(Favorite Author)

3.36 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Penguin Group

review 1: I have read many books about President Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. In fact, I read a Mary Todd Lincoln book for children so many times in grade school the cute librarian asked me to read other women biographies. Jennifer Chiavarini did a beautiful job capturing the personality of Mary Todd Lincoln. She was a difficult and unstable person. However this is the story of Elizabeth Keckley. She seems like such a gentle and kind woman- so sincere toward the Lincoln's. This book is a unique perspective of the civil war told eloquently from Elizabeth's perspective.
review 2: We read this for my book group … and it proved to be a very interesting book. Jennifer Chiaverini had done an extensive amount of research on the life of Elizabeth Keckley, who became Mary L... moreincoln's primary dressmaker. The early part of the book introduces Elizabeth, tells her background, how she became a mother - and now a freedwoman - and how she became a dressmaker to elite women in Washington and eventually Mary Lincoln. The book takes you soon into the Lincoln's lives - and into the times when Lincoln became president. It's a heavy historical read for much of the book … but the book moves into more of a story as the book progresses and Elizabeth becomes close to Mary Lincoln. I learned that Lincoln was a more spiritual, warm, and patient man than I knew … and that Mary was more disturbed and weak than I knew. There were many new insights for me into this period of time as the war began and the slaves were freed after. Despite the bond that developed between Mary Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley … Mary, never stable and emotionally self-centered, often exploits Elizabeth …. but I enjoyed toward the end of the book that Elizabeth gets to enjoy some happy, rewarding years teaching at a university, where she is truly appreciated and loved. Again, it was an interesting read. less

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